Seven Dirty Secrets

September 27, 2021
A mystery-obsessed teen with a dark secret embarks on an increasingly sinister scavenger hunt in Richards’s (Five Total Strangers) skillfully imagined thriller. When aspiring forensic scientist Cleo steps out of the shower on her 18th birthday, finding a small, beribboned present newly placed on the bathroom sink, she’s startled, and not only because it contains four slightly threatening lines—with her parents out of town, she’s home alone. Cleo figures that best friend Hope, who shares her own enthusiasm for pranks and “all things mystery,” placed the gift, but shock becomes serious concern when Hope proves uninvolved. A second box contains another poetry snippet—and a deadline—and subsequent clues invite the default-white duo to solve a puzzle, threatening that failure to comply will endanger Cleo and expose a secret she’d prefer to keep. Richards combines thriller and mystery elements while offering clever clues that hold the key to who is behind the puzzle and knows the secret of Cleo’s past. Richards is particularly adept at slowly revealing the nature of an earlier relationship while maintaining the suspense of the menacing scavenger hunt. Ages 14–up. Agent: Suzie Townsend, New Leaf Literary.

October 1, 2021
It's Cleo's birthday, and someone has arranged a scavenger hunt for her--but it turns out that Cleo is the one being hunted. The first clue appears in Cleo's bathroom while she is showering, immediately ratcheting up the creepiness factor. Cleo can't guess who snuck in; her brother and her friends deny being the culprit. And all of the clues are leading Cleo to revisit key private moments she shared with her former boyfriend Declan, who drowned under shadowy circumstances during a river rafting trip on her last birthday. It is slowly revealed that there was more to their relationship and the events of that fateful day on the river. Tensions climb as the clues turn into threats against Cleo and her brother. The clock is ticking. Did someone witness what happened on the day Declan drowned? Is it possible that Declan himself is orchestrating the hunt? After all, his body was never found. Red herrings abound, and troubling memories have Cleo realistically waffling between strength and self-doubt, but secondary characters are not as well developed. Readers invested in the relationship drama will devour the chaotic, action-packed climax, while serious mystery fans may find that the culprit's motives stretch belief. Cleo and most other significant characters are White; brown-skinned, biracial Connor has a different father from Cleo. Engrossing for fans of high school drama. (Mystery. 14-16)

COPYRIGHT(2021) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

December 1, 2021

Gr 7-10-Cleo has an extra eventful birthday. Her parents are away for work, and Cleo is in the shower when an unseen intruder drops off a ring box in her bathroom. The box contains the beginning of a series of clues requiring her to retrace the landmarks in her relationship with Declan, the boyfriend she believes is dead. Cleo is a crime-solving fiend and forensics is her hobby, so this is either the best birthday present ever or a really sick joke. More and more of their friends are pulled into the "game" as it is revealed that they all played a part in Declan's disappearance. Along the way, readers get deeper glances into what was a terribly abusive relationship that ended in a drowning that starts to look not like an accident but instead like self-defense. Cleo is white, and her half brother Connor has a Black father. Connor wants to protect her, but given his past experiences with the police, he is reluctant to contact the authorities. Readers will need to suspend significant disbelief, but those who do will be rewarded with a fast-paced whodunit that they won't see coming. VERDICT A serious thriller for readers itching for a good mystery, and also a cautionary tale about abusive relationships and how they can escalate into violence.-Leah Krippner, Harlem H.S., Machesney Park, IL

Copyright 2021 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

December 1, 2021
Grades 9-12 It's been almost one year since Cleo's boyfriend, Declan, drowned on a white-water-rafting trip they took with five other friends. Cleo still feels guilty for not trying to rescue him, even though she cannot swim, as well as for bringing him along when he wasn't welcome. At the same time, she's harboring a terrible secret about what happened: Declan fell into the river while Cleo was fending off his murderous attack on her. Now a sinister birthday gift has shown up--a scavenger hunt that forces Cleo to visit places that were significant to her and Declan to collect each clue. As the deadline for completing the hunt nears, Cleo wonders who is behind the hunt. Is it her beloved older brother? One of the friends on the trip? Or . . . is Declan still alive? Richards is a pro at ratcheting up the suspense and concealing the identity of the villain while simultaneously implicating everyone. Richards' knack for blending exciting, nail-biting plots with realistic and engaging characters results in yet another riveting page-turner.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.